Appeal No. 2002-0277
Application 08/618,005
still must access the computer reservation system to determine
whether or not travel arrangements are available. See column 6,
lines 34 through 40. Therefore, the tariff file as disclosed in
Webber does not store a database having computer reservation
system inventory information stored thereon as recited in
Appellants’ claims.
The Examiner recognizes that Webber’s list of various
sources does not contain sources of one or more computer
reservation systems. See page 7 of the Examiner’s answer. The
Examiner argues that it would have been obvious to one of
ordinary skill in the art that that information could be
retrieved from the computer reservation systems and then stored
in a database such as the Webber tariff file. See page 8 of the
Examiner’s answer.
When determining obviousness, “[t]he factual inquiry whether
to combine references must be thorough and searching.” Lee, 277
F.3d at 1343, 61 USPQ2d at 1433, citing McGinley v. Franklin
Sports, Inc., 262 F.3d 1339, 1351-52, 60 USPQ2d 1001, 1008 (Fed.
Cir. 2001). “It must be based on objective evidence of record.”
Id. “Broad conclusory statements regarding the teaching of
multiple references, standing alone, are not ‘evidence.’” In re
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